Raising Nako
by TheVictorianMuse
Summary: Gaara has known for a long time that he was in love with Naruto. When Naruto adopts a two-year-old Jinchuuriki, will Gaara adapt to live with a child, or will he let his love slip through the cracks? Itachi comes back to town, alive but broken. They say, it takes a village to raise a child. NaruGaa, ItaSai
1. Chapter 1

For an orphanage, it was eerily silent. No sounds indicating that the barn-like structure housed over forty children, a vast majority of them under the age of five. The blonde teen that stood at the main entrance chocked it up to excellent discipline skills on the part of the caretakers. He also knew that that wasn't necessarily a good thing.

He rang the bell again.

"Hey? Is anybody there? I'm here on a mission from the Hokage!" He called out. Silence echoed through the empty halls ahead of him, and then he heard the tell-tale clicking of high heeled shoes on the cement. A woman came in to view then. She was thin and short, wearing the standard nursing uniform he had been expecting. Her face was full of hard lines, which indicated to him on a subconscious level that this woman was by no means a nice person. Her brown eyes were cold as they met his bright, expressive blue ones.

"You're here for _her_ then, I presume." Her voice was just as cold as her eyes. "It's fitting, that they would send _you_ of all people to collect her."

Naruto Uzumaki felt his blood freeze. She knew who he was, alright. How could he expect her not to? He hadn't changed much in four years. He was sixteen now, but he still had all of his identifying features. His shockingly yellow-blonde hair, which stuck up every which-way just like his father's had. His big blue eyes, a trait that also came from the Fourth. But his soft, kind face he inherited from his mother, Kushina Uzumaki.

But this woman didn't know his parentage. She only saw him as Kurama, the Nine-Tailed fox demon that had ravaged Konoha and killed so many people, shinobi and commoner alike. This woman couldn't see past that, nor could she see past the fact that the little girl Naruto had been sent to collect was also a Jinchuuriki. She contained the newest (and youngest, in demon-years) biju, the Ten-Tailed feline, Himitsu.

"Stop staring and follow me, boy." The woman's harsh voice broke him away from his thoughts. He nodded quietly, and stepped around the desk to follow her down the hallway. The rooms for the children were lined up on either side, side by side. They all had doors with a big window, and inside he could see them sleeping. It was early in the morning. He smiled sadly. He knew how they felt. They had no parents, and were all alone in this world. Oh yes…he knew that feeling well.

A sigh from the woman broke his concentration yet again. They had arrived at a door that was unlike the others. It had no window, it was made of what looked like solid steel, and it was bolted shut. Naruto felt himself swallow thickly.

"Why…why all of this? She's only a two-year-old little girl." He turned his face so the woman could see it. She looked bored, like she didn't care that this room looked as though it belonged in a prison, not an orphanage. She rolled her eyes.

"You of all people should know. She's dangerous." The woman scoffed. She reached out and unbolted the door with her dry, boney fingers. She sent him one last callous look and then turned away, her heels clicking once again across that cold, cement floor.

Naruto pushed the steel door open slowly, and surprisingly it made no sound. He looked around the dark room, noting the lack of personal items. There was a desk, wooden and chipped away from years of use. A matching wooden chair stood slightly crooked, as though whoever had sat in it hadn't pushed it in properly. And then, there was a steel-framed, single bed, which is where he found her sleeping.

Her short, choppy brown hair was almost as unruly as his own was. This is what caught his eye. She was a little girl, her hair should have been much longer. It didn't look as though that was how it naturally grew. It looked, frankly, like it had been cut off in a hurry. She was curled up on her left side. Her small face was round and sweet, with a tiny button nose, and a cute little mouth that was parted slightly as she breathed softly. Her tiny fists were curled under her chin, and her knees were drawn up to her chest.

He was suddenly aware that her eyes were open. He blinked his own slowly, before a smile broke out across his face.

"Hello! My name is Naruto Uzumaki! I'm here to take you to Miss Hokage. She's _very_ excited to see you, you know." He said softly, as he approached the bed. She regarded him with her wide, shockingly yellow eyes.

"I'm gunna leave?" Her voice was high and still a little thick from sleeping. She rubbed one of her fists across her cheek, and then the other on the opposite side. Naruto nodded.

"Yep! You're gunna come with me back into the village, and meet with Lady Hokage. And then, we're gunna find you a home and a family! What's your name?" Naruto sat down on the foot of her bed. She shook her tiny head, her brown hair fanning out across her pillow.

"Miss says I'm Onanako." She was still learning how to talk, but that's not what made Naruto's breath catch in his throat. Onanako meant 'girl.' They hadn't even given her a name. They'd just called her 'girl'. He took a deep breath, and gave her one of his biggest smiles.

"How about we call you Nako? That sounds _much_ cuter! That silly old lady doesn't know _anything_, huh? A cute little girl like you deserves a cute name, right?" He leaned forward and tickled her tiny tummy through her scratchy linen tunic-like shirt. She broke out into a fit of laughter, her own huge smile brightening up her adorable face.

"Yes!" She exclaimed happily. She clambered over into his lap then, and he smiled sadly when she couldn't see his face.

Xxx

Tsunade smiled softly as her favorite hyperactive knucklehead came strolling into her office with a small girl in his arms. The girl was clinging to his chest, and he had a protective arm wrapped around her waist so she wouldn't fall. She was grasping his orange jacket tightly in both of her fists, and her forehead was buried in between them. Tsunade looked at Naruto.

"Is she?" She began.

"Asleep. She fell asleep almost as soon as we left the orphanage. She was sleeping when I went to get her, actually." He whispered softly, looking down at the top of her head. "Baa-chan…they had her locked up in a windowless room with a locked, steel-reinforced door! She didn't have any toys, and these are the only clothes she has."

Tsunade frowned, sitting back down in her chair. Naruto followed suit, sitting down on one of the guest chairs, cradling the little girl in his lap. She squirmed slightly in response to the shift, but didn't wake.

"What's her name?" The Hokage asked as she observed the girl with sad eyes.

"They didn't give her one. The…_woman_…that runs the orphanage called her the 'Onanako'. She thought that was her name. I told her we'd call her Nako. She likes it." Naruto's eyes lit up when he remembered how she had giggled and laughed when he tickled her.

He was growing so attached to her, and they had only been with each other for a couple of hours, and majority of that time she had spent sleeping. That didn't matter though. Maybe it was because they were both Jinchuuriki and he could understand her loneliness. Or…maybe it was simply because he knew the feeling of being unwanted. He knew the kind of life she had in front of her if she didn't find a family. He hadn't…and it was almost more than he could bear at times. Sure, he'd been able to put on a smile and brush off the abuse…the taunts…but not everyone could be as strong as he had been.

Just look at Gaara. He had been thinking about the young Kazekage more and more over the last two years. It had started out as a mild fascination, because the red head's transformation from feared, hated weapon to beloved leader was inspiring. He was making bonds with people, especially his siblings. From what he gathered from his friends letters, which were few and far between, Gaara was happier than he'd ever been.

But he missed Naruto. That was the bulk of all of the letters. '_I miss you terribly, Naruto-kun. I would like to come and visit soon. Hopefully in the fall, when the leaves change color. It's beautiful in Konohagakure then.' _It was fall now. No sign of Gaara. Naruto didn't blame him. He probably had a lot on his plate, being the Kazekage.

Naruto still hadn't given up his dream of becoming Hokage. He was working towards it more and more each day, and he could feel himself growing stronger. He trained hard, with each and every Jounin that Jiraiya had recommended after their training session was over. After Sasuke's suicide earlier that year, Naruto threw himself headfirst into the development of his skills. He'd made closer friendships with Sai, Sakura, Ino, and especially Gaara. Even though they only corresponded through letters, Naruto felt as though he could confide everything to his red haired friend. He had to admit that sometimes, the content of their letters got a little…heated. In mid-December of last year, Gaara had told Naruto that he was sure, at this point in his life, that he favored males. This didn't bother Naruto in the slightest. Iruka, the man who had practically raised him, was gay. But after he'd received that letter, Naruto had written back '_Do you think I'm attractive?_' Gaara hadn't written him since.

"We've tried to find her a family…no one is interested." Tsunade's voice cut through his thoughts, and he immediately remembered where he was. He looked down at Nako, who was still cuddled against his chest, sleeping soundly.

"I bet the Third said the same thing about me." Naruto whispered harshly. He was still gazing at the sleeping toddler. She was no bigger than Gaara had looked in his baby pictures. The red head had sent him many pictures, but only because Naruto had begged him. She must have been born premature, just like him. Her wrists and ankles looked fragile. She was helpless. She needed love…and who better to give it to her…

Than him.

"I'll take her." He said, his voice unwavering. Tsunade looked shocked for a few seconds, and then she frowned.

"Naruto…you're sixteen. You're not ready to be a parent. You live alone…you're a shinobi."

"She's old enough for the Pre-Academy. I can teach with Iruka-sensei. He's been bugging me about it for a couple of years now. Now that Orochimaru is dead and Akatsuki is disbanded, there's no threat." He explained, as his arms wrapped tighter around the sleeping little girl. Tsunade scoffed.

"What about your dreams to be Hokage? To become the strongest ninja in Konoha? You're willing to give them up?" She sounded pissed.

"No one was willing to give up their dreams for me. Maybe I have another calling. Maybe I'm meant to be Nako's father. Maybe I clung to that dream because it was the only thing that made me want to get out of bed in the morning and face the loneliness this village suffocated me with. Maybe I don't want this precious little girl to feel that." He had a certain tone in his voice…gruff and angry. It didn't sound like the bubbly Naruto that Tsunade had grown to love. This was his mature side. The older woman sighed, looking down at the paperwork on her desk.

"Normally, we don't adopt children out to other children…but given the circumstances, I will appoint you as her father. She will take your last name. You're responsible for her now, Gaki." She sounded like she warning him.

He looked up at her with a huge smile on his tanned, whiskered face. _There_ was her silly Naruto. She couldn't help but smile back.

"Thank you so much, Baa-chan. You know…I love her already. She'll be Daddy's little girl. Uzumaki Nako." He felt his chest swell with pride.

Uzumaki Nako. He mulled over the thought of being a father as he carried the little girl home. She was still fast asleep in the blonde's arms, but he couldn't blame her. This was probably the safest she'd ever felt in her entire life. He smiled to himself. So this was contentment. This must have been how his father, Minato, had felt when he was born…not that the man had had a long time to bask in the glory of fatherhood.

'_I promise you, Nako…I won't let that happen. I'll always be here for you._' He silently sent a prayer up to the gods that he could keep that promise.

Xxx

As they came to Naruto's apartment, the sixteen year old man noticed that his lights were on. This wasn't odd, since Iruka usually dropped by at night. Naruto pushed the door open slowly.

"Iruka! You'll never guess what happen-Gaara?" Naruto was shocked to see the Kazekage of Sunagakure pacing back and forth nervously in his tiny living room. The red head snapped his head to look at his friend.

"Naruto-kun! I…whose child is that?"


	2. Chapter 2

Gaara had been waiting in Naruto's apartment for exactly two hours. He'd come right in through the front door, because he knew that the blonde always left it unlocked. He felt awful for not answering Naruto's letter even though it had been a year, but every single time he had sat down to write a response, he froze up. He just couldn't tell the blonde that one secret that had been burning inside of him ever since that hyperactive ninja had defeated him and then rescued him from his anguish all in one day.

Gaara was desperately, hopelessly…in love with Uzumaki Naruto.

He had no clue how to tackle the proverbial demon that now stood in his way. He'd obviously never been in love before. He was sure it _was_ love, though, because all the signs were there. He pictured himself living with the boy…waking up every morning to his cheerful, infectious smile. He wanted the blonde to make love to him, so much so that the very thought of it brought a rosy flush to his fair-skinned cheeks. He wanted to spend his life with Naruto. He thought he knew everything about the Konoha nin, as well.

But he didn't know this child.

"Whose child is that?" He repeated himself, as Naruto stood there dumbstruck with the small toddler in his arms. He watched the other boy grin sheepishly.

"Well…funny story actually. You see…" He seemed to rack his brain as he pulled his door shut behind him. "I sort of just adopted her."

If Gaara was a normal person, his jaw would have hit the floor, and his eyes would have widened to a size that could rival dinner plates. But, given that he _isn't_ normal, he just stared at his secret love.

"You…adopted a child?" It sounded more like a statement, but he meant it as a question. He knew the Uzumaki was known for pranking people, and this sounded an awful lot like a prank. He watched the taller boy as he smoothed down the child's wild brown hair in a very loving way.

"Yeah. She's a Jinchuuriki, like us. Her demon's brand new, so Tsunade wanted to keep her in the village. No one else wanted her…and I did. So…I adopted her. Her name is Nako."

Gaara felt an odd feeling in his chest at the sound of Naruto's voice. It was filled with a certain emotion that the red haired Kazekage had never heard before. It sounded a bit like pride, and it was very gentle. It made Gaara feel like his heart was…melting. It wasn't an _unpleasant_ feeling, per se…it was just _new_. He decided that Naruto being a father made perfect sense…

But Nako would need a mother. And Gaara certainly _wasn't_ 'mother' material. His freshly melted heart cracked straight down the middle, and the smaller boy silently vowed to keep his confession of undying love to himself. It would hurt him, yes. But it was for the greater good. He was shaken from his thoughts by a tiny whimper.

"Wh-Where…" Nako's voice was very small, and brand new. Gaara watched as she opened her huge eyes as wide as they would go. When she had them closed, it was hard to tell their actual size, let alone their strange color. They were an odd greenish-gold. They suddenly locked with his own aquamarine orbs, and he couldn't force himself to look away. That look…filled with fear, and uncertainty. A deep, aching loneliness, a desperate need for love. He'd seen that look before, a long time ago…whilst looking at himself in the mirror, wondering why he was so hated.

For a moment, Gaara forgot to breathe. Naruto's voice soon broke the contact.

"Nako-chan…you're with me now. We went to see Miss Hokage, but you were just so sleepy! We decided that it would be best if I adopted you…because I wanted you to be my daughter _so much_! I'm your father now." The blonde sounded like he was vying for her approval against an unseen force. Maybe she'd want a normal family…a beautiful mother and a strong, handsome father. Maybe that frightened Naruto.

But Naruto was strong, as well as handsome. Now all she would need was a beautiful-

"M-Mama?" Gaara was shocked to find she was staring at him, her arms outstretched towards him. Numbly, without even understanding the _why_ and the _how_, Gaara found himself walking forward, taking the small girl from Naruto's arms. Not only was it the closest he'd ever been physically to the blonde, but it was also the first time he'd had a small child clinging to him desperately with its small warm head tucked under his chin. He found it wasn't altogether a bad feeling.

The look on Naruto's face was one of shock. Gaara found himself only glancing up at the other boy for a few moments, before looking back down at the small girl. She was breathing softly through her nose, and he could feel the tiny, warm breeze of her exhale on his clavicle. Upon closer inspection of her messy hair, he noticed it wasn't brown at all. The roots down by her scalp were a dusky blonde, just like his sister, Temari's. The rest of it was-

"Dirt." Gaara mumbled.

"What was that?" Naruto questioned him, stepping closer to the pair. Gaara looked up at him, conveying what he hoped looked like concern in his eyes.

"Her hair isn't brown. It's blonde. This is dirt. She's filthy." Gaara explained. "She needs a bath."

When Gaara looked up at him, there was a strange look in Naruto's eyes that he'd never seen before. It felt like shyness or embarrassment…but why would he be embarrassed? It wasn't his fault the girl's hair was dirty. Those people at the orphanage never bothered to bath her. He brushed it off, turning to peer down the hallway.

"You're bathrooms down that way, correct?"

Naruto looked like he'd just been shaken awake. "Uh…yeah. I still have all my old clothes, so I'll just grab some and meet you in there. You don't think it'll be…kinda odd to give her a bath? She's a girl."

If Gaara had eyebrows, he would have raised one at the blonde boy skeptically. "She's two. She's you're daughter now, as well. You'll need to get used to bathing her, changing her…she'll need to be toilet trained as well, no doubt. She can't speak very well, so you'll need to teach her how. She'll need to learn to read, and write. Surely you contemplated all of that before you adopted her?"

Naruto was looking at him strangely. He knew why, of course. Not only had Naruto never heard him talk that much in one go, but he also was more likely than not shocked that Gaara knew what having a child entailed. Little did the knucklehead know just how much _more_ Gaara knew about childrearing. He'd read up on it, studied it…he'd even had discussions with his villagers at the night markets about their experiences with parenting. The red head had made two life changing discoveries about himself in the last two years. The first was he was gay. Not only was he gay, but he was madly in love with boy who was currently gaping at him with his ridiculously wide blue eyes. The second was he wanted desperately to be a father. He wanted to have a child of his own to raise…to love and protect, to care for. He quickly fell into despair when he realized that these two revelations were so conflicting, he'd most likely have to choose between them. But that was the story of his life.

But now…the two things he wanted most had been dropped into his lap. Naruto had adopted a baby girl, who thought Gaara was her mother. Naruto obviously needed help with her and the basics of childcare, which Gaara was now well versed in.

If only Naruto would have him. But he didn't even know whether or not the boy was gay. He _had _ confessed to Naruto that he preferred males, and the blondes response wasn't necessarily negative. Before he had asked Gaara if he thought he was attracted to him, Naruto had asked him '_how do you know?'_ He had been too embarrassed to write back. That was the last conversation they had had before he came here. And now the child that Naruto adopted thought he was her mother. What was he going to do? He only had a two month leave from his Kazekage duties…two months to figure out if he was going to attempt to have a relationship with Naruto.

Hopefully that would be enough time.

"I hadn't thought of that. I was going to have Sakura-chan come over and help me," Naruto explained sheepishly. At the mention of the pink haired girl, Gaara felt his heart plummet. Of _course_ Naruto would want her to help…they could be a family. How could he be so stupid- "But now that you're here, you can help me! How long are you going to be here, anyway? Nako-chan already thinks you're her mother…why'd you do that, anyway? You probably should have said 'no' to her. She's going to be really sad when you have to go back to-"

"I'm here on leave for two months. And as for being her mother…Naruto…after we bathe her and give her something to eat…I need to speak to you about something." Gaara said in a clear voice. Nako lifted her head quickly.

"…hungry." She mumbled, her eyes wide and pleading. Gaara smiled down at her warmly. It felt foreign to him, but he wanted to make the girl feel at ease.

"I know, you must be starving. Those mean ladies at the orphanage didn't feed you much, did they? After your bath, we'll fill your belly up, okay Nako-chan?" He asked softly. The biggest smile appeared on her face, and she leaned up and kissed Gaara's cheek sweetly.

"Thank-u Mama!" Her small voice was still small, and jumbled. Gaara felt joy rush through him. He heard Naruto clear his throat, and when he looked up at the taller boy, he saw a blush painted across his whiskered cheeks. Wordlessly, he left to go collect some clothes for Nako.

Xxx

After he rinsed and shampooed the dirt from her hair, Gaara filled the tub halfway with warm water and set Nako in. She scrunched up her face at the feel of it, but then relaxed, splashed and wiggling around. Her dusky blond hair was wet and clinging to her round, innocent face. Gaara, who was sitting on the floor next to the tub, chuckled softly.

"You look like a fish, Nako-chan!"He said jokingly. She looked up at him, smiling widely.

"Fishy! Fishy, fishy!" She was mumbling the word as she splashed along in the water.

Naruto was taking an awfully long time. Perhaps he was also taking this time to sort out his thoughts. He was a new father…that was a lot to take in. Gaara felt bad for the blonde. He more likely than not adopted Nako due to that overwhelming sense of duty he had not only to Konoha, but to his fellow humans in general. Naruto had always been selfless, putting himself in harm's way to help his comrades and complete strangers alike. The only selfish thing he'd ever done was cling to his dream of being Hokage.

And he gave that all up for this little girl. Gaara felt himself fall deeper in love with Naruto, if that were even possible. Almost as if on cue, Naruto walked into the bathroom.

"I got clothes! They're boy clothes, but I don't think she'll mind. And look! The shirt has a frog on it!" He smiled, holding up the slightly faded orange shirt that had the image of a smiling green from on the front.

"Froggy! Froggy!" Nako repeated, moving her arms up and down in a hopping motion. Naruto laughed heartily.

"Look at you, Nako-chan!" He knelt down beside the tub. "What other animal names do you know?"

Nako scrunched up her face, obviously thinking very hard. After a few moments, pointed both of her index fingers out and put them on her head like a pair of horns.

"Moo-moo!" She squeeked. Naruto almost fell over from the force of his laughter.

"Gaara, did you see that? She's so smart!" The blonde exclaimed, gripping the side of the tub. Meanwhile, Nako was silent. She was staring at her feet, a shamed look on her face, like she'd done something wrong. Gaara noticed, and leaned closer to her.

"Nako-chan? What's the matter?" He asked softly. At this, Naruto ceased his laughing and looked at the pair quizzically. After a few moments of silence, Nako pointed a shaky finger at Gaara.

" 'Accoon."

And then, she pointed to Naruto.

"F-Fox."

And finally, she poked herself in the chest with her thumb, scowling.

"Kitty."

Naruto gasped, and Gaara was gripping the tub so tightly that his knuckles were white. Naruto was the first to speak.

"Sh-She knows…we're Jinchuuriki."

Gaara nodded. How was he going to approach this with her? Little did he know that Naruto was already formulating a plan.


	3. Chapter 3

"She can eat ramen, right?" Naruto asked as he rummaged through his cupboard. His mind was still reeling from Nako's admission that she knew they were Jinchuuriki. That wasn't a skill they all had, since when Naruto met Gaara for the first time, he had no clue they were the same in that aspect. Perhaps she was somehow in direct contact with their Biju, like Sasuke had been with Kurama? The thought didn't bother him so much that she would be able to speak with the Nine Tails…it was Shukaku he was worried about. He and Gaara would discuss that later.

"Of course, just make sure you crush the noodles, and add some cold water after you've put it in the bowl. I don't want it to be too spicy for her." Gaara explained as he sat down at the table. Nako was holding his hand, looking positively adorable in Naruto's old clothes. The dark brown khaki shorts and orange frog t-shirt fit her perfectly, but with her hair chopped the way it was, she looked like a little boy. Or so Naruto thought.

"Oh, Nako-chan. You look just like my sister did when she was your age! I can put you hair up like hers when you're all done with lunch! You'll look very adorable!" He smiled at the young girl, and Naruto watched as she beamed up at him. Gaara then turned to him. "She's going to be too small to sit in a chair at the table. Why don't you let her sit in your lap, and I'll feed her? She probably can't use chopsticks on her own. They really haven't worked with her at all."

Naruto finished putting cold water into the small bowl of ramen and set it on the table, frowning as he picked the small girl up and sat down close to Gaara's chair at the table.

"No. They kept her shut up in this tiny room with no windows. She doesn't have any toys…not even a stuffed animal! And that potato-sack dress you saw her wearing was the only clothes she had…and that stuff on her hair was dirt." Naruto explained, anger rolling off him in waves. Nako began to squirm in his lap, whining nervous. Gaara reached out to touch her head.

"Naruto-kun, I know it's terrible, but you have to calm down. You're scaring her. Children can tell when you're upset." The red head turned his gaze back to Nako. "They just didn't see what a precious little girl they had on their hands. Too late for them now, though! You're ours now. You're Mama and Papa's."

Naruto felt himself blush when Gaara said that outloud. He pursed his lips, looking away as Gaara began to feed Nako. He would gather up a small amount of noodle onto the chopsticks, blow on it gently, and then offer it to the blonde girl. She opened her mouth and ate it right up, smiling in delight as she chewed. But Naruto was having trouble watching it. It was sweet, and precious. It felt like everything Naruto had ever wanted. A happy family. People to call his own.

But this was temporary. Gaara would leave. He would go back to Suna. Why was he telling Nako he was her mother, if he was just going to leave and break her heart? Why was he leading her on? He seemed to generally care about the girl…to generally care about _him_…

By the time Naruto came back from his thoughts, Nako was finished with her noodles. Gaara was smiling such a warm, caring smile as he wiped her mouth and chin with a napkin.

"Was that good, Nako-chan?" He asked sweetly.

"Mhm!" She mumbled, patting her stomach cutely. "Tummy full!" She was squirming around on Naruto's lap again. She turned her head up to look at the blonde. "Papa, Mama, I play now?"

Naruto couldn't help but smile at her. "Yeah…I think I still have all of my old toys, I can dig them out." He scooped her up into his arms, standing. Gaara followed suit, holding his hand up.

"Hold on. There's something I want to give her." He whispered softly, before walking away back into the living room, where his travel bag was. After a few long minutes he came back, holding in his arms a faded, tattered looking teddy bear. Naruto recognized it from the pictures that Gaara had sent him of himself as a child.

"Here, Nako-chan. This is Mama's favorite teddy bear. His name is Kumo-kun. He is very old, so treat him kindly. " He got very close to the little girl, and whispered to her. "And guess what?"

She opened her eyes very wide. "Wha'?"

Gaara reached out and touched her tummy, handing her the bear. "Kumo-kun knows all about the kitty. And he still wants to be your best friend. Forever and ever, just like he was my best friend. He was by my side when no one else was, and he'll be by your side, too. Just like Mama and Papa will be. We love you, Nako-chan."

"Gaara…" Naruto gasped, feeling the tears prickle at his eyes. Everything the red head was saying sounded so…honest. So loving. He had never seen Gaara like this. He could feel the truth in the other boys words, but he could feel the heartbreak, too. Gaara knew what it was to hurt…to feel like no one was by your side. That was the one thing that brought Naruto and Gaara together. They knew true loneliness. Naruto never wanted Nako to know that pain.

"M-Mama, Papa, l-love-u." She mumbled, squeezing Kumo-kun tight to her chest. Naruto knew it was now or never. He had to talk to Gaara about what he was doing. Nako was going to get too attached to him.

Naruto carried the small girl into the living room, setting her down on one side of the couch, tucked against the armrest securely.

"Nako-chan, can you stay right here with Kumo-kun for a minute? Papa has to talk to…Mama…about something _very_ important." Naruto explained, kneeling in front of Nako. She nodded, tacking Kumo-kun by the arms and making him dance on her lap.

"Mhm!"

"Okay. Don't move! We'll be right back!" Naruto looked up at Gaara, and motioned for him to follow. Naruto walked down the hall and into his bedroom. Once Gaara was inside as well, he shut the door, leaving only a crack so he could hear if Nako got up. He turned to face Gaara.

"What are you doing." He deadpanned, staring the Kazekage in his deep green eyes. He watched as the other boy cocked his head to the side, genuinely confused.

"What do you mean, Naruto-kun?" He whispered. He sounded nervous. Naruto frowned, taking a step forward.

"She's getting attached to you. Why are you letting her think you're her mother? You're just going to leave her. You're going to go back to Suna in two months." Naruto was still looking right in Gaara's eyes. He watched the green orbs widen.

"I…I love her, Naruto-kun. She's…just like we were. I want to be here for her…I want-"

"That doesn't change anything, Gaara. You're still going to leave us all alone here."

"Us?" Gaara caught the blondes slip up. Naruto stepped back, covering his mouth.

"I…Gaara, you said in your letter…you have someone back home, don't you? You met a man in Suna. You came here to tell me, to break the news to me. Now, you're confusing my daughter!"

Naruto could see the anguish pass over the smaller boys face. He watched as Gaara dropped his gaze to the ground.

"It hurts me that you would think I would do something like that. There's no one, Naruto-kun." He whispered softly. "No one…but you. It's always been you."

Naruto let those words sink in slowly. He searched Gaara's face for any sign that he was lying. Is that why he hadn't responded to Naruto's letter? Was he too embarrassed to admit that he found Naruto attractive?

"I came here to tell you that…I love you, Naruto-kun. And if you want me…here with you and _y-your_ daughter…I am fully prepared to relinquish my Kazekage title to Baki-sensei. "

"Wh-What?"

"I was going to resign, anyway. I've earned the trust of my people. That was my goal. I proved to myself that I could be a selfless, caring member of my village. But now, I wanted to do something for myself. Something to make _me_ happy. You make me happy, Naruto-kun. You make me feel things I never thought I would be capable of feeling. I'm laying everything out in front of you. I am bearing my very _soul_ to you. I love you. Completely, every piece of you. Your determination…you're stubbornness. The way you smile, the way you cry, and especially the way you care and love unconditionally. If you reject me, I will go back to Suna. I will live out my days there, but I will never replace you, nor will I replace Nako." Gaara was breathless, Naruto could tell by the way his chest was heaving. The red head was shaking, too.

Naruto couldn't believe what he was hearing. Gaara…loved him? He hadn't expected _that_ to come out of his best friend's mouth. He was silent for a long time, just staring at Gaara, who still had his eyes trained on the ground. What was he going to do? He'd never thought about…being with another boy. Sure, Gaara was attractive. He had that lovely blood-red hair, that pale skin, and a lithe, petite body. But Naruto was always so _sure_ that he liked girls. Girls like Sakura, whom he was sure he loved.

But all of that seemed superficial now that Gaara was here, confessing his undying love. Naruto took a shaky breath.

"Stay for the two months, Gaara." He said softly. "I don't know if…I-I can love you like that, but give me time. I've never thought about being with another boy, but I'm willing to try. Okay?"

"Kiss me."

Naruto's eyes widened. "G-Gaara! I just said-"

"Just kiss me. Try. Please, Naruto…promise me with a kiss, that you will try to love me." His whispered words held such _sorrow_. It was raw and scathing. Naruto walked forward on unsteady legs, and Gaara grabbed his hands. Naruto leaned in, slowly, and pressed their lips together.

Gaara's lips were dry and warm, and they molded against his own almost perfectly. Gaara's grip on his hands tightened, and he slowly parted his lips. Naruto pulled away quickly.

"We should check on Nako."

As if on cue, there was a shrill, high pitched laugh that sounded like Nako's voice. Naruto panicked, and ran into the living room, only to find his new daughter being hoisted up into the air but none other than Uchiha Itachi.

Gaara flew into action, his sand gathering around him menacingly. Naruto quickly jumped in front of the Kazekage, holding his arms out.

"WAIT! GAARA!" He yelled. "This isn't what you think! He…he came back to the village. He's…on our side."

Hearing this, Gaara quickly sent his sand slithering back into his gourd. The raven haired man looked down at the little girl, his eyes quizzical.

"Looks like we all have some explaining to do, huh?" He said, half to her, and half to the other boys. She tried to copy his questioning look.

"Yeah, 'slainin!" She copied him.


End file.
